7th person arrested for allegedly assisting escaped New Orleans inmates
Seven people have now been arrested for allegedly helping inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail last week, as the search for the five outstanding escapees and any other alleged accomplices continues, authorities said.
Two arrests occurred on Friday, as the number of people alleged to have assisted the 10 inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center grows.
Among them, 23-year-old Trevon Williams, an inmate at the jail, was arrested after the Louisiana Attorney General's office said its agents "obtained sufficient evidence" that he assisted in his fellow inmates' escape in the early hours of May 16.
According to an arrest warrant, Williams -- wearing a distinctive black orthopedic boot on his right foot -- was seen on surveillance camera entering a cell involved in the escape at approximately 12:35 a.m. on May 16 and remaining there for nearly 30 minutes -- the same time window during which the inmates made their escape. He is also seen "comingling" with two of the escaped inmates moments before they entered the cell and ultimately escaped, according to the warrant.
Investigators believe Williams supplied a blanket and shirt to aid the escapees in climbing over the facility's razor wire-topped fencing, according to the warrant.
When questioned on Thursday, Williams told investigators he could not remember why he entered the cell or what happened inside during that time, according to the warrant.
Williams has been rebooked on 10 counts of principal to simple escape, the attorney general's office said. He had initially been booked into the facility in January on weapons charges, jail records show.
"As I promised when we initiated our investigation, we will hold absolutely everyone who contributed any role to the prison break in New Orleans accountable," Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement. "While Trevon Williams was already incarcerated, we will be filing additional charges related to the escape. We will continue our investigation and follow all of the facts to ensure we get accountability."
A second man arrested on Friday is accused of helping two of the inmates after their escape, according to the New Orleans Police Department. Emmitt Weber, 28, was taken into custody after police executed a "high-risk warrant" at a home in New Orleans, police said. After questioning, Weber was arrested and has been charged with accessory after the fact of simple escape, police said.
A jail employee accused of helping the inmates break out and four women who allegedly helped some of them once freed have also been previously arrested in connection with the jailbreak.
Casey Smith, 30, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly assisting two of the 10 inmates who escaped from the jail, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
"Through investigation, members of the NOPD's Special Operations Division Tactical II team obtained information linking Smith to allegedly aiding at least two of the reported escapees as they were transported to multiple locations in the hours following their escape," the New Orleans Police Department said in a press release on Friday announcing the arrest.
Smith allegedly admitted to aiding in the escapees' transport along with 32-year-old Cortnie Harris, who was arrested on Wednesday, police said. Smith has been booked for accessory after the fact to simple escape.
In addition to Harris, state police announced on Wednesday that 38-year-old Corvanntay Baptiste was arrested and charged with felony counts of being accessories after the fact. They were both booked at the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, officials said.
On Thursday, a Slidell woman was taken into custody for allegedly helping a fugitive who is still at large following the jailbreak, Louisiana State Police said.
Connie Weeden, 59, was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on Thursday. She faces a felony charge of accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting Jermaine Donald, one of the five escapees still on the run, police said.
"Weeden was in contact via phone both before and after the escape," Louisiana State Police officials said in a statement. "Investigators determined that after the escape, she provided Donald with cash through a cell phone app."
Donald remains at large, along with four others who broke out of the Orleans Justice Center on May 16. Authorities have recaptured five of the original 10 inmates who escaped.
Sterling Williams, a 33-year-old maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, was arrested and booked into jail Tuesday morning, according to Murrill.
Williams allegedly shut off the water to a toilet to help clear the way for the inmates to escape, sources said. The prisoners, including three who are charged with second-degree murder and remain on the run, were able to crawl out through a hole after ripping the toilet off its hinges. Williams's lawyer has denied he intended to help in the inmates' escape and said a deputy asked him to shut the water off due to a clogged fixture.
"Did he admit he turned the water off? Yes, absolutely, and we're not denying that. Did he confess to conspiring to aid violent criminals to escape the jail, climb a wall, run across the interstate and terrorize the city? Absolutely not," lawyer Michael Kennedy told ABC News.
Law enforcement officials warned that helping fugitives will carry serious consequences.
"Those who choose to assist or conceal these individuals are violating the law and will be held accountable," said state police. "Harboring fugitives threatens the safety of our communities and will not be tolerated."
Under Louisiana law, a conviction for accessory after the fact carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $500, or both.
Amid an ongoing investigation into the escape of inmates, the Orleans Parish District Attorney issued subpoenas on Thursday to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson and other sheriff's office staff members.
The order demanded access to emails, text messages and internal messages from or to Hutson and other sheriff's office staff and contractors, including those to Williams.
Four other jail employees have been suspended in this investigation.
